Rim-tightener for vehicle-wheels.



J. HAMILTON.

RIM TIGHTBNER FOR VEHICLE WHEELS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24, 1908.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

2 SHEETE-BHEET 1.

WITNESSES 5E E m: NORRIS pz-rsws 50., wnsnmcnm, D. c

JAMES HAMILTON, OF WEIR, KANSAS.

RIM-TIGHTENER FOR VEHICLE-WHEELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

Application filed March 24, 1908. Serial No. 423,034.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES HAMILTON, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Weir, in the county of Cherokee and State of Kansas, haveinvented a new and Improved Rim-Ti htener for Vehicle-Wheels,

of which the fo owing is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to vehicle wheels and comprises more particularlyan improved means for tightening the rims of the wheels.

While my invention admits of general use, it is of peculiar service inrelation to wheels used for automobiles, bicycles and similar roadvehicles provided with cushion, pneumatic or other resilient tires. Myinvention also has special application to vehicle wheels provided withiron tires and adapted to be fitted with rims carrying cushion orpneumatic tires.

More specifically stated, my invention comprehends means for securingtogether the abutting ends of the rim and for moving these endsrelatively to each other for the purpose of tightening and loosening therim in order to facilitate its removal, replacement, or its fittingwhile in position.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures. Figure 1 is a fragmentary sideelevation showing the felly of a vehicle wheel provided with an irontire, the latter carrying a rim provided with my improved rim tightenerand adapted to carry a pneumatic tire (not shown), the view showing indotted lines the cam mechanism whereby the rim is tightened or loosenedat will; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary inverted plan showing how the j oiningends of the rim are fitted relatively to each other and are controllableby the cam which is mounted upon a stub shaft revoluble within certainlimits by aid of its angular end; Fig. 3 is a substantially verticalcentral cross section on the line 33 of Fig. 1, looking toward the rightof said view and showing the cam and its accompanying parts for drawingthe ends of the rim together and for releasing the same, and alsoshowing the pneumatic tire; Fig. 4 is a detail plan of the cam and itsshaft removed from their mountings; Fig. 5 is a reduced plan viewshowing the socket wrench to be used for turning the shaft; Fig. 6 is afragmentary section taken upon a plane cutting through the folly, tire,rim and locking device, this section being taken upon a plane coincidingwith the general plane of the wheel; and Fig. 7 is a fragmentaryperspective showing the ends of the rim and portions of the lockingdevice, all segregated and ready for assembling.

At 5 is shown the folly of the wheel and at 6 is shown a pneumatic tireprovided with an inner tube 7, and further provided with a pair offlanges 8, each of general annular form. These flanges are engaged by apair of oppositely disposed metallic flanges 9, the outer edges 10 ofwhich are cupped slightly toward each other in order to secure theflanges 8 and thus hold the tire 6 firmly in position.

The ends of the rim are shown at 11, 12, and are to be secured togetherby aid of my device. The ends 11, 12 of the rim, as shown in Fig. 7, areprovided with the bottom portions 11*, 12 of a channel which extendsthroughout the entire length of the rim, and consequently is of ageneral annular form. This channel is provided for the purpose offitting the rim over a metallic tire 24, as hereinafter described. Theend 12 is further provided with a tongue 12 which is virtually acontinuation of the bottom portion 12 of the channel. This tongue andalso the bottom portion 12* of the channel are provided with holes 12,and other holes 12 are disposed in the end 12 upon opposite sides of theportion 12 of the channel. The end 11 is provided with holes 11 At 13 isa boX provided with lugs 13 integral therewith and extending in oppositedirections therefrom, these lugs being provided with screw holes 13 Thebox 13 is provided with an opening 15 extending en tirely through it andhaving substantially the shape of a quarter-cylinder, as will beunderstood from Figs. 6 and 7. A fork 14 is provided With bearings 14:and is further provided with a slot 14', the latter being large enoughto receive the box 13. The fork 14 and box 13 being of the conformityshown more particularly in Fig. 7, may be fitted neatly together, thebox 13 being free to move in and out of the slot 14*.

By aid of screws 12*, extending through the holes 12, 12 the box 13 issecured firmly in position upon the end 12, the lugs 13 overlappingsmall portions of the end 12 disposed upon opposite sides of the portion12* of the channel. Similarly, by aid of screws 11, the fork 14 ismounted upon the end 11, the box 13 and the fork 14 being in suchrelation, that when the ends 11, 12 of the rim are brought together, thebox 13 moves into the slot 14 The bearings 14 are for the purpose ofaccommodating a cam shaft 17 (see Fig. 4). The cam shaft is, for thispurpose, provided with smooth portions 18 serving as journal necks andfitting into the bearings 14. The shaft 17 is further provided withthreaded portions 19 and with an angular end 20. A socket wrench 21 maybe fitted upon this angular end for the purpose of turning the shaft 17.Integral with this shaft is a cam 16 which fits neatly within theopening 15, as will be understood from Fig. 6. The shaft 17 carrying itscam 16 is placed within the opening 15 and fitted relatively to the fork14 before the box 13 and the fork 14 are secured upon the ends of therim. Revoluble nuts 22, 23, each having a frusto-pyramidal form, arefitted upon the threaded portions 19 of the shaft 17 and serve to adjustthis shaft and to hold it securely in position.

When the several parts shown in Fig. 7, and the shaft 17 carrying thecam 16 and shown in Fig. 4, are assembled as indicated in Fig. 1, theconstruction may be summarized by stating that the ends of the rimoverlap each other, and that one of these ends is provided with a camwhich engages the portion carried by the other end of the rim.

While I show the box 13 and fork 14 as separated upon the ends uponwhich they are mounted, it will be understood that I do not limit myselfto this exact construction.

The metallic tire 24 is provided with a portion 25 bent inwardly for thepurpose of accommodating the projecting portions 13, 14 of the rim.

My invention is used as follows: The parts being assembled as abovedescribed, the operator applies the socket Wrench 21 to the angularportion 20 of the stub shaft 17 and turns this shaft within the limitsprescribed. In doing this, the cam 16, playing within the opening 15,forces the box 13 to the right or left, according to the direction ofrotation of the shaft, and thus draws the ends of the rim toward eachother, or forces them apart, as the case may be.

My device above described enables the rim to be fitted upon the tire 24so as to slightly overhang the opposite edges of the latter, and thusalleviate or remove all danger of its being removed accidentally. Owing,however, to the fact that the tire 24 can not be placed in positionunless the rim can be made of variable diameter, my device provides forchanging the diameter, as hereinbefore described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. In a rim tightener, the combination of a rim provided with ends andwith enlarged portions adjacent to said ends, said enlarged portion ofone end overla ping the enlarged portion of the other en one of saidonlarged portions being provided with an opening, a cam shaft revolublymounted upon the other of said enlarged portions and extending throughsaid opening, and a cam member mounted upon said shaft within saidopening.

2. In a rim tightener, the combination of a rim provided with ends, oneof said ends having a central projecting portion and the other of saidends having a pair of projecting portions disposed upon opposite sidesof said first-mentioned projecting portion, a cam shaft extendingthrough all of said projecting portions, and a cam mounted upon said camshaft for the purpose of moving one of said. projecting portionsrelatively to the other, said cam shaft being provided with meanswhereby it may be turned.

3. The combination of a rim provided with ends to be secured together,one of said ends having an opening, the other of said ends beingprovided with enlarged projecting portions and disposed upon oppositesides of said first-mentioned projecting portion, a shaft extendingthrough all of said projecting portions, a cam mounted upon said shaftwithin said opening for the purpose of moving said projecting portionsrelatively to each other, and a tire engaging said rim, said tire beingprovided with a portion bent inwardly in order to make room for saidonlarged portions of said rim.

4. The combination of a rim provided with portions movable relativelytoward each other, a box mounted upon one of said portions and providedwith an opening, a fork mounted upon the opposite portion and providedwith a slot adapted to receive said box, a shaft journaled within saidfork and extending through said box, said shaft being provided with acam for moving said box relatively to said shaft, and means for turningsaid cam.

5. The combination of a rim provided with terminal portions movablerelatively toward each other, a box made separately from said rim andsecured to one of said portions, said box being provided with anopening, a fork made separately from said rim and secured firmly to theother of said por- In testimony whereof I have signed my tions, a shaftjournaled within said fork and name to this specification in thepresence of extending through the opening in said box, two subscribingWitnesses.

i said shaft being provided With a cam for JAMES HAMILTON. 5' movingsaid box relatively to said fork, and Witnesses:

\ means controllable at will for turning said WALTON HARRISON,

' shaft. JOHN P. DAVIS.

